Rating and value of sculptures and bronzes by Antonin Mercié

If you own a work of art by or after Antonin Mercié, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market.

Then, if you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist Antonin Mercié     

The artist Antonin Mercié leaves in his wake a very singular body of work, drawn from the animal repertoire. A talented sculptor, he creates numerous works that are particularly prized at auction.

The prices of his works are now skyrocketing under the auctioneer's hammer. They are particularly prized by French and European buyers.

The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €140 to €74,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Mercié's works.

A bronze sculpture, Gloria Victis ! sold for €70,870.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Antonin Mercié

Antonin Mercié is a major French sculptor of the late 19th century, and an emblematic figure of the academic sculpture of the Third Republic. His work is situated between the classical idealism inherited from Antiquity and the romantic and patriotic sensibilities of his time.

He seeks a balance between formal beauty, moral expression and anatomical exactitude. He was a pupil of Falguière and Jouffroy at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and winner of the Prix de Rome in 1868, thanks to which he stayed at the Villa Médicis, where he assimilated the canons of academic and Renaissance sculpture.

His academic training was based on rigorous drawing, anatomy and monumental composition. He maintains a constant tension between anatomical naturalism and heroic stylization. His human figures are balanced, elegant and endowed with controlled gestures.

He treated allegorical, historical and patriotic subjects such as Gloria Victis (1874), a tribute to the defeated but glorified French soldiers, and Quand même ! (1882), an exaltation of female patriotism after the 1870 war.

He also creates funerary and commemorative sculptures, as well as mythological and religious figures, always inscribed in a masterful realism. His compositions are dynamic but balanced, with movement born of the torsion of the body and the diagonal of the masses.

The organization is rigorous, with a clear hierarchy of volumes. The proportions are adapted to public visibility. Bronze is the material he favors for public commissions and editions, while marble is used for allegorical and funerary figures.

He collaborates with renowned founders such as Barbedienne and Susse. His work is close to that of Barrias, Pradier or Feuchère. Mercié remains a central figure in French republican monumentalism. He embodies a moment when sculpture united technique and national ideology.

Antonin Mercié, his life, his work

Antonin Mercié (1845-1916), a French sculptor, became an important figure of neoclassical sculpture in the 19th century.

He was born in Toulouse, and trained in sculpture at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a pupil of Alexandre Falguière and François Jouffroy.

He drew his inspiration from ancient subjects and exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1872, having been awarded the Prix de Rome for sculpture in 1868. His group Gloria Victis is noticed and installed in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, before moving to the Petit Palais.

He receives numerous public commissions and is called upon to create many monuments.

Some of Antonin Mercié's works can be seen in various European cities, but relatively few: most of his work is in private collections. He leaves a legacy in the history of 19th-century art and sculpture.

Market segmentation and artist rating

Edition bronzes form the core segment of the market, comprising allegorical figures, patriotic groups and busts. Marbles are rare on the private market and have a high heritage value. Plasters are part of a secondary market, with studio models or Salon proofs.

Monumental works are almost exclusively in public collections or in situ. Small formats (30 - 60 cm) are part of the entry-level market, with good liquidity. Medium formats (60 - 120 cm) form the core of the quotation.

Large formats over 120 cm form part of a narrow market, reserved for institutional or specialized collectors. The most sought-after subjects are patriotic, symbolic female figures, busts of illustrious men and commemorative sculptures with legible iconography.

Determining valuation criteria are antique casting (XIX - early XXth), patina quality, the founder's signature and stamp, state of preservation, provenance and bibliographical references.

The geographical market is mainly located in France, with Belgium and Switzerland constituting a secondary relay. It is stable and heritage-based, with no speculative surges. Demand is steady for allegorical bronzes compatible with contemporary interiors.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Not all works by Antonin Mercié are signed, and different variants exist. This is why, if you think you own a work by or after the artist, it is essential to have it appraised by an expert who will be able to authenticate it.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Antonin Mercié, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using our form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you wish to sell your work, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market inclinations.